Department of Psychiatry

Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research Group

Newsletters | Main Projects | Collaborative Studies | Completed projects | Our Group & Contacts

We are very pleased to announce that research in autism and developmental disabilities continues to grow at the University of Colorado Denver. We are very grateful to the families who volunteer their time and contribute significantly to our scientific and clinical understanding of developmental disorders.

Research in autism and other developmental disabilities has a long history in the Psychiatry and Pediatrics departments at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The developmental program of research was originally started by Sally Rogers, Ph.D. and Bruce Pennington, Ph.D. In the early nineties Rogers and Pennington (1991) proposed a theory of the development of autism. They designed a longitudinal study to test this theory and were awarded a program/project grant from the National institutes of Child Health and Human Development, under the Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism Network (CPEA).

Dr. Rogers directed the longitudinal study until leaving the University of Colorado to join the faculty at the M.I.N.D. Institute at University of California at Davis in 2002.

Randy Ross, M.D. (director of Developmental Research) and Susan Hepburn, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry) assumed leadership of the autism studies. they collaborated with Dr. Sally Rogers and Dr. Sally Ozonoff at the M.I.N.D. Institute to write a grant successfully, to continue the longitudinal study. Dr. Hepburn now directs the Longitudinal study and a Participant Core (conducting diagnostic qualification visits to assist other investigators). The projects include over 200 children with autism and other developmental disorders. The Autism and Developmental Disorders Research group has grown to include 3 primary projects and several collaborations. We are pleased to be affiliated with JFK Partners - a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; as the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers.

Financially, we are supported by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Communication Disorders (NICCD), Cure Autism Now, and the March of Dimes. Due to the decreases in federal funding for disabilities research, we are trying to plan ahead by also conducting some fund-raising activities of our own.

• We are also set up now to accept donations. Funds raised will pay for travel costs for families whose children have rare conditions but they live far away, assessment materials, development of training materials, and for laboratory costs (such as videotapes, rewards for the kids, and toys for the kids). If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, please contact Cheryl Crouch at the University of Colorado Foundation, 303-315-6917 or Cheryl.Crouch@cufund.colorado.edu.

It is our hope to continue to build collaborations to study these rare and complexing disorders.

Our newsletters provide an update regarding research findings as well as other significant information for our families and professionals in the field (If you would like to be added to our distribution list, please send an e-mail to Erin.Flanigan@UCHSC.edu):

• Spring 2006
• Summer 2005
• Spring 2004
• Summer 2003

The above files require Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat you can download a free copy from www.Adobe.com.

Our program of research has expanded into three areas – (1) Developmental, (2) Biological, and (3) Intervention studies.
The following links provide additional information on our main projects:

• Longitudinal Study Of The Developing Phenotype Of Autism
• Early Emergence of the Williams Syndrome Behavioral Phenotype
• Executive Function in Children with Autism
• Genetics of Autism
• Treatment of Anxiety in Children with High-Functioning Autism
• Description of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Children with Autism Compared to Controls

We are also collaborating with other investigators on their studies of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

For a complete list of current projects and collaborators Click Here.

The following are projects that are recently completed:
Teaching Nonverbal Children With Autism Useful Speech: A Comparison Of Two Models

Sensory Responsivity – Visit www.spdnetwork.org/research/star.html for more information

On June 18th, 2004 we hosted our first annual Conference entitled “Linking Research to Practice”. Presenters from various projects at the University of Colorado described their research findings, with a particular emphasis on how this new knowledge can impact education and treatment for children with disabilities. Topics Included:

• Interventions for anxiety symptoms, improving verbal communication, matching educational plans to a child’s profile, and promoting appropriate behaviors
• Basic research on gastrointestinal symptoms, and sensory reactivity

Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research Group

Director:
Susan Hepburn, Ph.D.

Senior Scientists and Mentors:
Sally Rogers, Ph.D.; The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California at Davis
Bruce Pennington, Ph.D.; University of Denver
Sally Ozonoff, Ph.D.; The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California at Davis
Corry Robinson, Ph.D.
Randy Ross, M.D.

Research Collaborators:
Deborah Fidler, Ph.D.; Colorado State University
Judy Reaven, Ph.D.
Ann Reynolds, M.D.
Don Rojas, Ph.D.
Deborah Hayden, Ph.D.; The PROMPT Institute
William McMahon, M.D.; University of Utah
Randi Hagerman, M.D.; The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California at Davis
Douglas Scambler, Ph.D.; Oklahoma State University
Melissa Rutherford, Ph.D.; McMaster University Ontario, Canada
Gregory Young, Ph.D.; The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California at Davis

Project Administration:
Galit Mankin, M.S.W.; Senior Professional Research Assistant
Amanda Hastings, B.A.; Professional Research Assistant/Division Administrator
Anna John, M.S., Department of Psychiatry Administrator

Research Staff:
Amy Philofsky, MA, CCC-SLP; Lead Clinician-Researcher
Shana Nichols, Ph.D.; Clinician-Researcher; Post doctoral fellow
Benjamin Yerys, M.S.; Advanced Graduate Student University of Denver
Allison Herndon, B.A.; Professional Research Assistant
Kym Gilchrist, B.S.; Professional Research Assistant
Erin Flanigan, B.A.; Professional Research Assistant

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